Often I get asked by a pastor or worship leader what I’m listening to and worshiping with. They realize that I travel the United States doing church secret shopper consultations and that I probably experience music and worship in more churches yearly, than just about anyone else to be honest.

So I hear a wide variety of styles and song selections. But I do have my personal preferences and songs that really move me and help me to connect to God. I bet you do, too. I’d like to introduce you to some that are my favorite (if you’re not already aware of them).

For the past 2 to 3 months, I’ve put YouTube on my TV and watched 2 artists, which I consider to be the best worship music in the United States. I think Elevation Worship is the best worship music in the US. I think Bethel Music is a close second. And they are very different, but I love them both.

Here are the songs that God has really used to minister to my heart and soul. I hope you’ll worship with them personally and consider them for corporate music.

Take Courage – Kristene DiMarco and Bethel Music
*** My current favorite song! This song is brand-new and isn’t even on iTunes yet.

Call Upon the Lord – Elevation Worship (My current 2nd favorite song)

Resurrecting – Elevation Worship

Here As in Heaven – Elevation Worship

O Come to the Altar – Elevation Worship (great response song after the message)

King of My Heart – Bethel Music (I know Saddleback Church has done this several times recently)

Ever Be – Bethel Music

No Longer Slaves – Bethel Music

It is Well – Kristene DiMarco and Bethel Music (for more traditional churches that want to breathe new life into an awesome hymn)

*** I’d love to hear from you. What’s playing in your earbuds these days? What songs move you?

Having been in several churches where we had a guest worship leader come in and lead for the morning, I have some thoughts to share.

Know Your Role
Your job is not to come in and teach new songs to the congregation. Your job is to fill in and maintain the status quo. Find out what songs the people know and love and choose from those. This is not only good for the congregation but good for the guest worship leader. If you sing crowd favorites, the people will have a positive impression of you and want you to lead again.

Know Your Responsibility
Your job as a guest worship leader is to choose songs/the set list, lead the weekly practice, lead the sound check and run-through on Sunday morning and then lead the music in the service. If you need to meet with the staff worship leader or senior pastor to pick out songs that go with the day’s theme/message – do that. Be prepared for the weekly practice. Get your songs out to the band as soon as possible. If you use Planning Center, get your songs uploaded and charts as well. Have charts ready for rehearsal and start and end on time. Tell the band and production team what time you want to gather on Sunday morning for sound check and run through and be the first to arrive that day. Make sure you’re finished with run through and have the stage cleared by at least half an hour before the service starts. Don’t be the guy rehearsing while people are coming in and sitting down.

Know Your Music
I can’t hold back here. If you are paid to fill in for an existing musician or worship leader, you need to come prepared and know your music. There’s no place for a music stand on stage. Memorize your music and play skillfully before the Lord and congregation.

Know the People
Find out from the existing worship leader the pulse and comfort level of the congregation. Don’t try to take them where they’ve never been. Just hold down what is the norm and don’t rock the boat. On Sunday morning, make it a point to get around the congregation pre-service and shake hands. Introduce yourself and keep from the rock star mentality of hiding in a green room. This will help people better connect with you on stage. After the service, don’t just pack up and leave. Stand around and talk with people after the service. This includes the band. Thank them for letting you come in and play with them.

Know the Room
Be sensitive to what God is doing in the service. Be sensitive to the senior pastor and where he wants to go in the service. If you need to play softly behind him during a prayer or response time, be ready and prepared. If you need to lead a reprise of a song during a response time, be prepared and ready. If people are praying or taking Communion, be softer and don’t overpower what is happening in the room. The main thing is to be sensitive and allow the Holy Spirit to guide you.

Know You’re Trusted
Someone believes in you and has asked you to lead, so rest in that. Don’t get an ego and don’t get intimidated. Someone sees great talent and potential in you and is trusting you to lead his or her congregation in corporate worship. Please take that responsibility seriously and know there’s grace and you are loved.

Know Your Part in the Bigger Picture
Realize that this is not your show, your shot or even your church. You are a guest and you should respect what God has done before you arrived and what He is continuing to do in that congregation. There will be a lot happening on that Sunday, from parking lot attendants, to greeters, to ushers, to production, to children’s workers, etc. You are just one piece of the puzzle. Your job is to lead music that the people can worship with and connect to the Living God.

Lastly, thank God for the opportunity. Thank the worship leader that asked you to fill in. Thank the senior pastor for having you. Thank the band for being understanding and flexible and doing their best to support you and set you up to succeed. Do such a good job that you will be asked back and give God the glory.

We know we all should die to self daily, but seriously – how often do you do a serious heart check? I recently transitioned off a local church staff and had to reassess my heart, think about my identity, remember my calling, and refocus my time and energy.

But today I want to talk about reassessing our hearts. Monday night I was at a men’s small group worship night held in someone’s house. There were about 15 to 20 guys gathered around a living room and kitchen.

We sang and worshiped our Living God, but what struck me was that the guy leading worship (who happens to be a physician) was singing and playing like he was in an arena with 10,000 screaming worshipers (picture a Passion concert with Chris Tomlin).

I stood there amazed watching this guy just go for it and sing his heart out. He truly led us into the Presence of God. And then it hit me:

Should we sing any less louder or give any less effort when leading before a small group than on a stage? Absolutely not!

Jesus deserves our all – our best. Our utmost for His Highest. Nothing less. He is worthy of all praise and as we sang the other night: a living sacrifice.

I met a pastor this past week at a conference for church planters. He told me he was searching for a worship pastor. I told him I would help. What I have found over the years through consulting and numerous conversations with senior pastors and executive pastors is that they simply don’t know what to ask when hiring a worship pastor (when it comes to music and if he or she can do the job).

Of course you will have your basic questions on theology, your particular church denominational beliefs and basic things we all look for like the 5 C’s: Character, Competency, Chemistry, Collaboration and Catalytic. Every leader should embody the 5 C’s.

Why do I feel qualified to write these questions? I think I offer a unique perspective as a boss, Campus Pastor and friend to numerous worship pastors. I’ve spent the last 22 years in worship ministry, producing worship experiences, serving as a Worship Pastor, Creative Arts Pastor, Tech Pastor, Director of WorshipHouse Media and consultant to some of the largest and fastest-growing churches in the country.

I’ve had the privilege and honor to consult with some amazing churches, including some of Outreach Magazine’s Fastest Growing Churches in the Country. I’ve also consulted and helped churches where Lincoln Brewster, Shane and Shane, Desperation Band/Jon Egan and the lead singer for Building 429 were leading worship. So, I know and have seen worship and the arts done on a high level and I have a true appreciation for what a worship pastor does, as well as a heart for worship.

So, for the rest of you that will be hiring a worship pastor and don’t have a background in music and worship, what questions do you ask when hiring a Worship Pastor? I have some thoughts, such as:

What is your definition of worship?

Describe what worship looks like and why it’s more that music.

What does it mean to live a lifestyle of worship?

Do you have a theology of worship?

Do you have a personal mission statement?

Explain your call to ministry.

Explain your specific call to be a lead worshiper.

Have you studied at a Bible college or seminary? (this can be both good and bad – as far as seminary)

Do you have a good grasp of the Bible, theology and consider yourself to be of sound doctrine?

Do you agree with our Statement of Faith?

Do you agree with our denominational beliefs?

Do you play an instrument?

Do you lead from an instrument?

The Bible instructs us to “play skillfully.” Do you work hard at your craft?

Do you exercise your voice and practice your instrument daily?

How often do you introduce a new song?

Do you write any of your own songs?

Do you arrange songs?

Do you arrange old hymns and breathe new life into them occasionally?

Do you even like and know hymns?

Can you chart out music for your band? Can you listen to a song on the radio or iTunes and chart it out by ear?

What are some of your musical influences?

What are you listening to in your car, office and iPod?

Can you coach a worship band and get the most out of them?

Can you coach vocalists?

Can you harmonize?

Can you teach others to sing harmony?

Do you know how to give professional musicians direction?

Do you know how to give weak or poor musicians direction?

What are some of your core or favorite songs these days?

Who are some of your favorite Christian songwriters?

Who are some of your favorite non-Christian songwriters?

How familiar are you with media, tech (sound, video and lights)?

Are you comfortable and competent recruiting and building a team of musicians?

Are you comfortable and competent recruiting and building a tech team? (Some churches will have staff over tech, some will need the worship pastor to oversee this)

Flat out: Are you a team builder?

Are you an equipper or a doer?

Can you work hard and play hard?

What are your hobbies?

Do you have a sense of humor?

Can you handle pranks?

Are you engaging in worship and do you connect well with people from the stage?

Do you engage and connect well with people off the stage?

Can you administrate and schedule musicians and tech team members weekly?

Are you comfortable using software like Planning Center Online?

How far out do you plan?

How would you describe your abilities when it comes to creative worship planning and brainstorming?

Do you plan worship in solo or are you a part of a creative planning team?

Are you more creative or administrative?

Are you a people person?

Are you in a small group?

Could you lead a small group?

Would you disciple your worship team and volunteers?

Are you comfortable in a multi-site environment (if your church is multisite)?

If your church is multisite, can you collaborate with the worship leaders at the other campuses?

Have you taken the StrengthsFinder2.0 test? If so, what are your top 5 strengths?

What are you top 3 Spiritual Gifts?

Where are you on the DISC profile?

Are you looking to settle down and invest in a community for a long time?

Are you passionate about reaching the lost?

Are you comfortable with an externally-focused church?

Read through the 3 Lost Parables in Luke 15 and share with me what you think God was trying to get across about His heart for the lost.

Will you do whatever it takes to reach people for Christ?

Are you a team player?

Do you have a strong work ethic?

Are you driven? What drives you?

Are you an intentional and strategic leader? Explain.

Do you have a mentor?

Do you mentor anyone else?

How long have you been leading worship?

Do you get pure joy in leading people into the Presence of God?

Are you a Mac or PC person?

Do you use tracks?

Are you comfortable playing with a click?

Explain your struggle with pride. I ask because I’ve yet to meet a pastor (worship pastor or senior pastor) that doesn’t struggle at least a little at some point with pride.

Do you struggle with porn?

What are your greatest strengths?

What are your weaknesses?

What would your wife say is a weakness for you?

What are the last 3 books you read?

Who are some of your favorite authors?

Do you know who A.W. Tozer is? Have you read any of his work?

What is your favorite book of the Bible?

What is your favorite leadership book?

What is your favorite book on music and worship?

Who are some of your favorite preachers?

What’s your favorite movie?

What’s your favorite sport?

What makes you laugh?

Who is the greatest boss you’ve ever had and why?

What conferences do you go to?

Who do you think are the leaders in design today (name companies that have a strong brand)?

Who is your personal favorite worship leader?

What is your current favorite worship song?

Tell me about your family.

Tell me about your friends. Are they all the same ethnicity?

Tell me about your childhood?

Tell me about your testimony. How did you come to faith in Christ?

Why are you looking for a new church?

Don’t let the first few questions intimidate the candidate – just ask them for their honest answers.

These are just the first questions that popped into my head. What are some questions you’d add? What did I miss? Help me out, friends.

Last week I posted about Owl City’s – Meteor Shower song possibly being the future of worship music. I could tell from many of the comments that some didn’t quite get why I thought he (Adam Young) may be on to something in the realm of worship music.

Yes, I love seeing laptops on stage and I love using loops in worship, but that’s just scratching the surface. What makes that song special is the space that he leaves in it – the room to breathe and reflect. There are plenty of moments when he’s not singing anything. THAT I think may be a glimpse of the future. Actually, it takes us back to Biblical (Selah) times of worship. Funny how things come back around isn’t it?

This week I’ll be writing primarily to worship leaders. If you’re a techie or pastor, please forward my blog on to your worship leader. I hope you’ll read it as well, as we all can stand to learn something new, but please make sure whoever leads worship at your church reads my blog this week. Thanks!